NESSC School Redesign in Action

In order to authentically engage in meaningful school and community change, it is essential to understand the historical and social context of a community to identify entry points. In this session, participants will learn about the journey of New Bedford Public Schools (NBPS), an urban school district in Massachusetts, as they worked to cultivate an approach to family engagement centered around developing authentic opportunities for building relationships and opportunities for educators, families, and students. Participants will leave with an understanding of key strategies and practices used to engage, educate, and empower all stakeholders.

Participants, in this session, will explore NBPS family engagement framework and learn strategies that can enable families to become more engaged, educated, and empowered. Community resources and supports to engage, educate, and empower families, students, and community members will be identified as well as strategies that effectively engage families in improving school climate and student outcomes.